Steve Spurrier

Steve Spurrier (born April 20, 1945 in Miami Beach, Florida) is a former American football player and current head coach. He played quarterback for the University of Florida and won the Heisman Trophy in 1966. From 1967-1976, he played quarterback in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After retiring from the NFL, Steve Spurrier began his coaching career as a quarterbacks coach at the University of Florida. After further serving as assistant coach at Duke University and Georgia Tech, in 1983 Steve Spurrier was awarded his first head coaching job: the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. The team had significant success, although the entire league dissolved after only three seasons. In 1987, Coach Spurrier became head coach of the Duke University football team. There he led the team to new heights, including a bowl appearance and an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship in 1989. For his success at Duke, Coach Spurrier received the ACC Coach of the Year award in 1988 and 1989.

On December 31, 1989, Coach Spurrier accepted the head coaching job at the University of Florida, his alma mater. He helped guide the team away from a period of scandal and captured the team's first ever Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship. The 1996 season saw the team reach the pinnacle of the college football world and capture its first ever national championship. From 1990-2001, the Florida Gators under Coach Spurrier won six SEC titles.

After the 2001 season, Steve Spurrier resigned his University of Florida coaching position to become head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins. Spurrier's five-year, $25 million contract with the Redskins was the biggest coaching contract in the history of the league. Despite high expectations, the team struggled under his leadership and he became the target of significant criticism. After the 2003 season, Coach Spurrier resigned his coaching job with the Redskins.